From the Chicago Tribune

Legislator year late on finance report
Giles faces hearing at elections board
By Christi Parsons
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 6, 2004
SPRINGFIELD--A veteran Chicago lawmaker and head of the 37th Ward Democratic
organization is in hot water with state election officials for failing to
disclose campaign finance information for more than a year.
The Illinois State Board of Elections has set a late April hearing to
examine why Rep. Calvin Giles hasn't filed. State law requires semi-annual
disclosure reports that list the receipt of all contributions and
expenditures amounting to more than $150.
Although candidates sometimes miss deadlines to file disclosure forms,
election officials say, it is almost unheard of for them to be so
delinquent.
"It is very unusual to have a campaign committee in existence that just goes
on continually missing filing periods," said Dan White, executive director
of the elections board. "Sometimes they go out of existence, and in
instances we've had difficulty reaching a treasurer. But I can't recall this
happening."
Giles said his committees fell behind in their paperwork after the committee
member in charge of filing the disclosure forms left the organizations. He
said he didn't realize the groups were missing the deadlines but that he
will file the disclosure reports by the end of the week and pay any fines he
owes for the tardiness.
He said he agrees with the importance of the disclosure law.
"It is so much paperwork," Giles said in a telephone interview. "Sometimes
you get so busy with so many other things. But that's the state law, and I
support it."
Acting on a complaint from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, board
officials have set a private hearing for April 23. If officials decide that
the complaint is justifiable, they will schedule a public hearing. Each of
the five counts of complaint could carry fees of as much as $5,000. Giles
also may owe late fees for tardy filing in the past.
The campaign watchdog group said it had tracked more than $25,000 in
contributions to Giles-controlled committees that had not been reported.
State election officials noticed recently that Giles' House campaign
committee had failed to file regular disclosure reports for 2003 as well as
a special pre-election report required a month before the most recent
primary. The 37th Ward Regular Democratic Organization apparently failed to
file disclosure forms for 2003 and for the pre-election deadline. White said
the board notified the committees by mail but got no response.
Government watchdog groups say such a failure to file is a threat to the
integrity of Illinois elections.
"Anybody can give any amount to a candidate," said David Morrison, deputy
director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "All we have to keep
the system honest is disclosure."
Giles said that the ward organization is no longer active.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune